Injection of fluids into earth formations



April 30, 1963 J. K. KERVER INJECTION OF FLUIDS INTO EARTH FORMATIONS Filed Nov. 9, 1959 m w mm f ma w/ m 4 o M: NH I 4 PH m I 8 A b Q A 3 B \\\\W\\\\\x\\\\\ w m 5 v Q 3" m: 4f v /7 4 z A 1/ 5 mm L m w W w N w m m N FIG. I. yZM/E ATTOENEI;

United States Patent 3,087,551 INJECTION OF FLUIDS INTO EARTH FORMATIONS John K. Kerver, Houston, Tex., assignor, by rnesne assignments, to Jersey Production Research Company, Tulsa, 01th., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 851,833 7 Claims. (Cl. 166-224) The present invention is directed to the injection of fluids into a subsurface earth formation. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a device for injecting fluids into a subsurface earth formation. In its more specific aspects, the invention is concerned with a retrievable tool for injecting fluids into subsurface earth formations pierced by a well bore.

The present invention may be briefly described as a device for injecting fluid into a subsurface earth formation. The device or tool comprises an open bore tubular member adapted to be attached to and form the lower end of a tubing string in a cased well. The tubular member is formed to provide an interior seating surface adjacent the lower end of the bore and the interior seating surface is adapted to receive a tubular housing which is retriev-ably positioned on the seating surface in the tubular member. The housing carries means for sealing between the outer wall of the housing and the inner wall of the tubular member. The housing is provided with an openable member such as a spring biased valve which is adapted to be opened at a predetermined pressure for downward flow of fluid through the tubular member and housing, the open-able member being closeable against upward flow of fluid through the tubular housing and tubular member such that the tubular housing is retrievable from the tubular member by upward flow therethrough.

The openable member is suitably a spring-biased valve or may be a rupture disc which will rupture under a predetermined pressure. When a rupture disc is employed, the tubular housing may suitably comprise or have arranged therein a check valve which is normally open but which is closeable on upward flow of fluid therethrough.

The present invention will be further illustrated by reference to the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in section of a preferred embodiment, and

FIG. 2 is a modification of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawing and particularly to FIG. 1, numeral 11 designates a well bore having a casing string 12 cemented therein with primary cement 13. The casing 12 and cement 13 are perforated in -a formation or stratum 14 to provide perforations 15 for communication between the interior of the casing 12 and the formation or stratum 14. Arranged in the casing 12 is a tubing string 16 having attached thereto by suitable attaching means (such as a threaded connection) 17 a tubular member 18 which has an open bore 19. As seen from the drawing, the member 18 is open on its lower end and forms a continuous passageway with tubing string 16, the Wall of member 18 being free of any openings therein. The tubular member 18 is formed to provide an interior seating surface 20 adjacent the open lower end 21. Retrievably arranged within the tubular member 18 is a tubular housing 22 having a port 23 in its upper end and having an open lower end 24. Arranged in a suitable spider 25 is a valve member 26 which is urged against a seating surface 27 formed in the housing 22 by a spring member 26a, the lower end of which seats against the spider 25 and the upper end of which seats against the closure member 28 of the valve 26. Carried in a recess 29 in the seating surface 30 of the tubular housing 22 is an O-ring 30a which seals with the seating surface 20. Carried on the 3,687,551 Patented Apr. so, less outer wall of the housing 22 adjacent its upper end is a sealing member 31. Sealing member 31 is suitably an inverted cup-type sealing member which prevents bypass of fluid around the housing 22 as it passes downwardly in the tubing 16 as will be described. It will be clear that the sealing member 31 has a greater sealing area than the O-ring 30a.

Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 2, and may similarly be retrievably positioned in the housing 18. Referring to FIG. 2, a housing 35 is provided with a recess 36 in which an O-ring sealing member 37 is arranged. The housing 35 has an upper sealing member 35a which is similar to and functions like sealing member 31 of FIG. 1. A port 38 in the upper end of the housing 35 is norm-ally closed by a rupture disc 39 which may be formed of a thin metal or of rubber or other material which may be ruptured by pressure. Below the rupture disc 39 and adjacent the port 38 is a pivoted spring loaded check valve 40 arranged to normally close the port 38 against upward flow.

The apparatus of the present invention may be employed in the following manner in which a fluid is designed to be introduced into the stratum 14. To determine exactly when the fluid enters the stratum 14, the required amount of fluid is introduced by wellhead, not shown, into the tubing string 16 and the housing 22 is then introduced into the tubing string 16 and pumped downwardly. When the housing 22 reaches the seat 20, a seal is formed with the sealing member 300 and with the seal 31, which causes a buildup of pressure which may be suitably indicated at the wellhead by pressure gauge on the injection pumps. When it is desired to inject additional quantities of fluid, a rise in pressure will serve to open the valve member 26, moving the closure member 28 off of the seat 27. When it is desired to retrieve the housing 22, circulation of fluid down the annulus 32 between the tubing string 16 and the casing 12 holds the valve closure member 28 on the seat 27 and causes the tubular housing 22 to be forced upwardly in the tubing string 16 to the wellhead, not shown.

The device of FIG. 2 is used in a similar fashion exceptin g that a sufli-cient pressure will be employed to rupture the disc 39.

In injecting fluids in oil field operations the injected fluid is ordinarily pumped down the tubing and displaced therefrom with an inexpensive fluid such as Water, mud or lease crude. It is necessary to keep the injected and displacing fluids from mixing and in the usual case the turbulent flow in the pipe at high pumping rates is depended upon to limit mixing to a narrow Zone. When fluid viscosity is high or drastically different, this is often diflicult to achieve. Moreover, in injecting fluids into subsurface earth strata, it is often important to inject into the formation or stratum the entire amount of the injected fluid without overflushing or admixing with the displacing fluid. Ordinarily this is accomplished by calculating the volumes of the tubing, casing, pumping tanks, and the several fluids. However, calculation is sometimes of in- ;sufiicient accuracy or reliability and the problem arises when sand-consolidating solutions are injected into subsurface earth formations or strata, in fracturing operations to prevent overflushing, and in chemical treatment of tubing or formations. The problem is solved in accordance with the present invention where use is made of the device shown in the two figures of the drawing. Thus, in operation, the tool is placed in the tubing at the surface separating the injected and displaced fluids and pumping is commenced. The device keeps the fluids separate as they flow down the tubing; and when the device reaches bottom of the tubing, it is caught by the seat therein and an excess pressure of a predetermined amount is required 3 to open the valve and permit fluid to flow through the tool. Thus, the pump pressure is recorded at the earths surface and a pressure surge indicates the precise instant the displacing fluid reaches the bottom of the tubing. When this occurs, the tool or device may be returned to the surface by reverse circulation, as has been described.

The device of the present invention is, therefore, quite important, useful, and is of great advantage.

The nature and objects of the present invention having been completely described and illustrated, what I wish to claim as new and useful and secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for injecting fluid into a subsurface earth formation which comprises: an open bore tubular memher having its wall free of openings and adapted to be attached to the lower end of a tubing string in a well bore and formed to provide an interior seating surface adjacent the lower end of the bore of the tubular member, a tubular housing sufficiently smaller in diameter than said tubular member and having an outer seating surface such that said tubular housing is adapted to be retrievably positioned on said interior seating surface in said tubular member by downward movement through said tubing string and said tubular member, first means carried by said housing adjacent its upper end for sealing between the outer wall of said housing and the inner wall of said tubular member, second means carried by said housing adjacent its lower end for sealing between the outer seating surface of said housing and the interior seating surface of said member, said first sealing means having a greater sealing area than the second sealing means, an open-able check valve member in said housing adapted to be opened at a predetermined pressure for downward flow of fluid through said tubular member and housing and closeable to prevent upward flow of fluid through said tubular housing and member whereby said tubular housing is retrie able from said tubular member by upward movement through said tubular member and said tubing string, said tubular member and said tubular housing both having open lower ends for discharge of fluid downwardly from said tubing string.

2. A device for injecting fluid into a subsurface earth formation which comprises: an open bore tubular member having its wall free of openings and adapted to be attached to the lower end of a tubing string in a well bore and formed to provide an interior seating surface adjacent the lower end of the bore of the tubular member, a tubular housing sufficiently smaller in diameter than said tubular member and having an outer seating surface such that said tubular housing is adapted to be retrievably positioned on said interior seating surface in said tubular member by downward movement through said tubing string and said tubular member, first means carried by said housing adjacent its upper end for sealing between the outer wall of said housing and the inner wall of said member, second means carried by said housing adjacent its lower end for sealing between the outer seating surface of said housing and said interior seating surface, said first sealing means having a greater sealing area than the second sealing means, a spring-biased openable check valve member in said housing adapted to be opened at a predetermined pressure for downward flow of fluid through said tubular member and housing and closeable to prevent upward flow of fluid through said tubular housing and member whereby said tubular housing is retrievable from said tubular member by upward movement through said tubular member and said tubing string, said tubular member and said tubular housing both having open lower ends for discharge of fluid downwardly from said tubing string.

3. A device for injecting fluid into a subsurface earth formation which comprises: an open bore tubular member having its wall free of openings and adapted to be attached to the lower end of a tubing string in a well bore and formed to provide an interior seating surface adjacent the lower end of the bore of the tubular member, a tubular housing sufificiently smaller in diameter than said tubular member and having an outer seating surface such that said tubular housing is adapted to be retrievably positioned on said interior seating surface in said tubular member by downward movement through said tubing string and said tubular member, first means carried by said housing adjacent its upper end for sealing between the outer wall of said housing and the inner wall of said member, second means carried by said housing adjacent its lower end for sealing between the outer seating surface of said housing and said interior seating surface, said first sealing means having a greater sealing area than the second sealing means, a frangible member in said housing adapted to be ruptured at a predetermined pressure for downward flow of fluid through said tubular member and housing, and valve means closeable to prevent upward flow of fluid through said tubular housing and member whereby said tubular housing is retrievable from said tubular member by upward movement through said tubular member and said tubing string, said tubular member and said tubular housing both having open lower ends for discharge of fluid downwardly from said tubing string.

4. A device for injecting fluid into a subsurface earth formation which comprises: an open bore tubular member having its wall free of openings and adapted to be attached to the lower end of a tubing string in a well bore formed to provide an interior seating surface adjacent the lower end of the bore of the tubular member, a tubular housing sutflciently smaller in diameter than said tubular member and having an outer seating surface such that said tubular housing is adapted to be retrievably positioned on said interior seating surface in said tubular member by downward movement through said tubing string and said tubular member, said tubular housing having a port in its upper end, first means carried by said housing adjacent its upper end for sealing between the Outer wall of said housing and the inner wall of said member, second means carried by said housing adjacent its lower end for sealing between the outer seating surface of said housing and said interior seating surface, said first sealing means having a greater sealing area than the second sealing means, a spring-biased check valve member in said housing normally closing said port and adapted to be opened at a predetermined pressure for downward flow of fluid through said tubular member and housing, upward flow of fluid through said tubular housing and member retrieving said tubular housing from said tubular member by upward movement through said tubular member and said tubing string, said tubular member and said tubular housing both having open lower ends for discharge of fluid downwardly from said tubing string.

5. A device for injecting fluid into a subsurface earth formation which comprises: a tubing string in a cased well bore, an open bore tubular member having its wall free of openings and attached to the lower end of said tubing string and formed to provide an interior seating surface adjacent the lower end of the bore of the tubular member, a tubular housing sufliciently smaller in diameter than said tubular member and having an outer seating surface such that said tubular housing is adapted to be retrievably positioned on said interior seating surface in said tubular member by downward movement through said tubing string and said tubular member, first means carried by said housing adjacent its upper end for sealing between the outer wall of said housing and the inner wall of said member, second means carried by said housing adjacent its lower end for sealing between the outer seating surface of said housing and said interior seating surface, said first sealing means having a greater sealing area than the second sealing means, means in said housing including an openable member adapted to be opened at a predetermined pressure for downward flow of fluid through said tubular member and housing, and a closeable member adapted to be closed by upward flow of fluid through said tubular housing and member for retrieving said tubular housing from said tubular member by upward movement through said tubular member and said tubing string, said tubular member and said tubular housing both having open lower ends for discharge of fluid downwardly from said tubing string.

6. A device for injecting fluid into a subsurface earth formation which comprises: an open bore tubular member having its wall free of openings and adapted to be attached to the lower end of a tubing string in a well bore and formed to provide an interior seating surface adjacent the lower end of the bore of the tubular memher, a tubular housing su-fiiciently smaller in diameter than said tubular member and having an outer seating surface such that said tubular housing is adapted to be retrieva'bly positioned on said interior seating surface in said tubular member by downward movement through said tubing string and said tubular member, first means carried by said housing adjacent its upper end for seal ing between the outer wall of said housing and the inner wall of said member, second means carried by said housing adjacent its lower end for sealing between the outer seating surface of said housing and said interior seating surface, said first sealing means having a greater sealing area than the second sealing means, a rupture disc in said housing adapted to he ruptured at a predetermined pressure for downward flow of fluid through said tubular member and housing, and normally closed check valve means openable against downward flow of fluid through said tubular housing and member whereby said tubular housing is retrievable from said tubular member by upward movement through said tubular member and said tubing string, said tubular member and said tubular housing both having open lower ends for discharge of fluid downwardly from said tubing string.

7. A device in accordance with claim 6 in which the first means is an upwardly-facing cup packer and the second means is an 'O-ring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,139,983 Stone Dec. 13, 1938 2,212,491 Appleby Aug. 27, 1940 2,364,464 Moore Dec. 5, 1944 2,562,458 Hartsell July 31, 1951 2,771,091 Baker et a1. NOV. 20, 1956 2,841,171 Baker et al. July 1, 1958 2,856,008 Fredd Oct. 14, 1958 

1. A DEVICE FOR INJECTING FLUID INTO A SUBSURFACE EARTH FORMATION WHICH COMPRISES: AN OPEN BORE TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING ITS WALL FREE OF OPENINGS AND ADAPTED TO BE ATTACHED TO THE LOWER END OF A TUBING STRING IN A WELL BORE AND FORMED TO PROVIDE AN INTERIOR SEATING SURFACE ADJACENT THE LOWER END OF THE BORE OF THE TUBULAR MEMBER, A TUBULAR HOUSING SUFFICIENTLY SMALLER IN DIAMETER THAN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AND HAVING AN OUTER SEATING SURFACE SUCH THAT SAID TUBULAR HOUSING IS ADAPTED TO BE RETRIEVABLY POSITIONED ON SAID INTERIOR SEATING SURFACE IN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER BY DOWNWARD MOVEMENT THROUGH SAID TUBING STRING AND SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, FIRST MEANS CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING ADJACENT ITS UPPER END FOR SEALING BETWEEN THE OUTER WALL OF SAID HOUSING AND THE INNER WALL OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, SECOND MEANS CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING ADJACENT ITS LOWER END FOR SEALING BETWEEN THE OUTER SEATING SURFACE OF SAID HOUSING AND THE INTERIOR SEATING SURFACE OF SAID MEMBER, SAID FIRST SEALING MEANS HAVING A GREATER SEALING AREA THAN THE SECOND SEALING MEANS, AN OPENABLE CHECK VALVE MEMBER IN SAID HOUSING ADAPTED TO BE OPENED AT A PREDETERMINED PRESSURE FOR DOWNWARD FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AND HOUSING AND CLOSEABLE TO PREVENT UPWARD FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH SAID TUBULAR HOUSING AND MEMBER WHEREBY SAID TUBULAR HOUSING IS RETRIEVABLE FROM SAID TUBULAR MEMBER BY UPWARD MOVEMENT THROUGH SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AND SAID TUBING STRING, SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AND SAID TUBULAR HOUSING BOTH HAVING OPEN LOWER ENDS FOR DISCHARGE OF FLUID DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID TUBING STRING. 